


Jam Bomb II

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Australian National University, Canberra - Freeform, F/M, Future Fic, London, Shrinking, University, permafusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-10-30 22:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17837606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: Another week of Connverse for your pleasure!





	1. Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully I can actually finish this one this time. :B

** Rain **

_ Australian National University, Canberra _

It was a dreary, wet day on campus - and according to the locals, this wasn’t at all uncommon.

Connie gazed out through the automatic doors of the Hancock Library. She needed to be in class in fifteen minutes - a walk that would take her over the creek, past the oval and down a short road. It was basically a ten-minute walk through sleet and mud with precious little shelter - and to top it all off, she’d forgotten her umbrella. She’d have stayed in her room, but tutorials were mandatory.

At least Steven was in this tutorial, she reminded herself. It’d be worth it to be with her friend.

“Hey Connie!”

Connie jumped, swinging around. Steven stood behind her, smiling sweetly.

“Steven?!” she exclaimed, “I… I thought you were on the other side of campus?”

“Roof leaked,” replied Steven, “Thought I’d come down and walk you to class.”

Connie smirked.

“Aw, how  _ genteel _ of you,” she replied, “I’m afraid I don’t have an umbrella…”

Steven’s grin widened as he drew his shield.

“I like the way you think, Universe.”

They wandered outside, past the drink machine and out into the maelstrom. Before long, they were crossing the small bridge over Sullivan Creek - Steven glanced over the rail at the slightly overflowing water.

“I hope it doesn’t flood again,” he muttered.

“Yeah,” nodded Connie, “Otherwise we’d need to buy a raft or something.”

They chuckled as they wandered on.

Even with the shield protecting them, the ground was still wet and muddy, and the crowd of students travelling to and from classes forced them from the pavement into the slimy, slippery surface next to the oval. Connie grimaced as she stepped as carefully as she could.

“Someone told me they have two seasons here,” she said, “Cold and wet. I miss Beach City.”

“I got a call from Pearl this morning,” replied Steven, “Oh, and Amethyst sent me a really cute picture of her and Peri! Wanna see?”

Connie nodded. Excitedly, Steven reached into his pocket.

“Okay, it’s just- _ whoa! _ ”

His foot slipped and swung upwards. For a split-second, he seemed almost suspended in the air - then, with a splash of mud, he tumbled onto his back.

“ _ Steven! _ ”

Steven lay on the ground, dazed and dizzy. He could faintly hear someone laughing at him, and his back felt uncomfortably damp. Before long, he felt someone tug on his arms - it was Connie, pulling him up.

“Steven, are you okay? Do you need…  _ stop laughing at him, you jerk! _ ”

The young man who had been laughing scurried away, suitably chastised.

Steven rubbed his head, blinking as the momentary pain faded away. He realised he felt more raindrops than he had before - his shield had vanished, and now he and Connie were both being rained on.

“Sorry,” he muttered, “My shield just…”

“I don’t care about that!” exclaimed Connie, “Are  _ you _ okay?!”

Steven smiled.

“Just bruised,” he replied, “I… oh, my phone!”

He reached back into his pocket and pulled out his phone - thankfully, it was undamaged, and the picture he intended to show - a selfie of Amethyst and Peridot out in the water off Beach City - was still on screen.

“See?” he said, “Cute, right?”

Connie shook her head and started laughing, pulling Steven into a hug. The mud that caked him splattered onto her clothes, but she frankly couldn’t care less.

“Sorry, sorry, I just thought you’d broken your back or something for a second there,” she explained, “And I was like ‘I can’t cure that with a sword,’ and I forgot you had healing powers  _ anyway… _ ”

She ran a hand through her increasingly waterlogged hair.

“C’mon, let’s get you to class before anything else happens.”

“Do we need to dry off first?” asked Steven.

“Nah, I doubt Mark’s gonna mind…”

They trudged off over the oval in the direction of class, hands over each other’s shoulders.

“I love you, Connie.”

“I love you Steven, you doofy klutz.”


	2. Fantasy AU

** Fantasy AU **

The Beach House is a change, but honestly it’s not a bad one - and for once, her parents say they’re sticking around permanently. They even sound like they  _ mean  _ it!

Except they’re gone all day, and that leaves Connie alone. And they don’t like her going far from the house, so that leaves visiting the town out. It’s quiet and lonely here, and there’s…  _ strange sounds _ .

“It’s haunted, kid.” One of the workers at the Big Donut smirks at her as he leans over the counter. “It’s a murder house.”

“Lars! It is  _ not _ a murder house!” snaps his coworker, “Stop scaring her!”

“But that guy went missing in it fourteen years ago, Sadie,” replies Lars, “He’s gotta be haunting the place, right?”

Sadie rolls her eyes.

“Nobody went  _ missing _ ,” she responds, “It’s just that Greg used to live there. He’s still alive - you saw him this morning.”

“Saw his  _ ghost _ , maybe.”

Sadie glares at him.

“Fine, I just get a kick outta scaring kids,” he admits, “Nothin’ else to do ‘round here anyway…”

Connie tries not to believe him, but the noises keep happening, and some days she hears  _ voices _ in the floorboards. Mom and Dad don’t believe her. To Dad, it seems like a joke, and to Mom it’s an annoyance - “You’re fourteen, Connie, you’re too old to be imagining things.”

She’s right - Connie  _ is  _ fourteen, and she is  _ not  _ imagining things.

Before long, she finds someone who believes her - although he pretends he doesn’t. Greg squirms a little as he suggests that it’s just ‘wood expanding in the heat.’ He knows something.

Eventually, she has a chance to investigate. Mom and Dad are at a work function, and they won’t be back until morning. They’ve hired Sadie as a babysitter - she’s nice, although Connie rankles a bit at being thought to need one.

As the sun goes down, she hears a voice again. This time, she’s prepared with a flashlight. She creeps into the back room - her parents room - and follows the sound under the bed.

She shines the light into the darkness.

“ _ Aw geez, don’t shine that in my eyes! _ ”

A tiny voice cries out, and Connie jumps. With a slight thud, she hits her head, wincing at the sharp pain.

There are two tiny people, one purple and one white, no more than three centimetres tall. The tall, white one has a spear at the ready, but the small purple one just looks curious and a little amused.

“Hey, one of the Bigs found us, P!” exclaims the purple one.

“Yes, that’s what I’m worried about,” snaps ‘P’, “We had enough trouble with Greg, we can’t…”

“Greg?” asks Connie, “Greg Universe? From the car wash?”

“Don’t remind me,” ‘P’ groans, “Well, looks like we’ll have to wipe her mind. Amethyst, go get Garnet…”

“Pearl? Amethyst? Who is that?”

A tiny head pokes out from a crack in the floorboards. It’s a boy, perhaps her age, and his eyes seem to light up as he sees her.

“It’s another kid!” he exclaims.

“Uh, hi,” replies Connie, “I’m Connie!”

“Steven,” says the boy, “Steven Universe!”

“Universe? Are you Greg’s son?”

“Steven, don’t talk to it,” says Pearl, “We’re gonna be erasing her mind soon, so…”

“Wait, don’t wipe her memories, I want to talk!” exclaims Steven.

“Uh, yes ma’am, please don’t…”

“Oh, Steven!” says Pearl, ruffling his hair, “We’re not wiping her memories, we’re  _ wiping her mind _ . It’s much more thorough.”

“But that’s even  _ worse! _ ”

“You’d wipe my mind?” asks Connie, alarmed, “As in…  _ everything in my brain?! _ ”

“Yeah, P, that’s a bit extreme,” says Amethyst.

“We can’t have her telling people about us!” exclaims Pearl, “I know… I know Rose gave Greg a pass but…”

“There’s gotta be another way!” exclaims Steven, “She won’t tell anyone, Pearl! Please, I…”

“C’mon, let him have a friend,” says Amethyst, “We know from Greg that the Bigs ain’t all bad…”

“Oh, we learned  _ many things _ from Greg,” growls Pearl.

A fourth head pokes up from the floorboards - she’s purple, with a visor and square hair.

“Tell me whose mind I’m erasing,” she says.

Pearl sighs heavily.

“No-one, Garnet,” she replies, “Just…”

She turns around.

“If you tell anyone, I’ll… I’ll…  _ eat you! _ ” she exclaims.

“But you hate eating,” says Amethyst.

“ _ Shut up! _ ”

“I… I promise I won’t tell anyone,” replies Connie, “But… who are you?”

Garnet climbs out of the crack, standing up to her full height (it must be a whopping three and a quarter centimetres). Pearl and Amethyst make poses next to her.

“We are the fae,” she exclaims, “Protectors of your world from the Otherworld.”

“Heroes of the downtrodden everywhere!” adds Pearl.

“Kickers of demon butt!” shouts Amethyst.

“And Steven!” cries Steven, rather ruining the moment. Connie can’t help but chuckle.

“So the protectors of the Earth live under Mom’s bed?” she asks at last.

“Hey, you build a house on our Temple,” replies Amethyst, “Ain’t our fault.”

“You wanna see it?” asks Steven.

“Steven, you can’t just-”

“He can,” says Garnet, “Giant girl, tell me if you wish to see our Temple.”

“Sure!” Connie jumps at the oppertunity. Is she going to see  _ real magic?! _ But… if they’re tiny, how will she fit into their…

Garnet waves her hands and there is a glow. Suddenly she and the other fae seem to be getting bigger, the bed getting taller, the floorboards get larger.

No.  _ She is getting smaller. _

Within seconds, she is standing under a now gargantuan bed, Garnet and Pearl both taller than she. Steven walks up - she’s still taller than him, but not by much - and grins.

“You’re gonna love it!” he says, “The Temple is such a cool place, and I can show you my  _ room _ , and we…”

“Guys.”

“...can see all the bubbles, and… and we got a train…”

“ _ Guys. _ ”

“...and it’s  _ magic _ , and I can show you Lion, and…”

“ _ Guys! _ ”

Amethyst is pointing at something, and they all turn around.

Sadie’s head - to Connie, it’s now larger than a skyscraper - is gazing under the bed, her jaw dropped. There is a long, long silence.

“Are we going to erase her mind?” asks Pearl at last.

“No,” says Garnet simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh heh, smol gems.


	3. Fusion

** Fusion **

They lived alone these days - no, they lived  _ together _ .

To put it in the simplest possible terms, the end of the war had meant, in the long term, the end of the Crystal Gems. Sure, they stuck around, dealt with a variety of problems, and it wasn’t like they weren’t still a family - it was just that as time went on, new opportunities emerged. Especially once Steven grew up.

Bismuth moved to the forge full-time (it was the place where she was happiest), and before long Pearl had moved in with her. Garnet, surprisingly enough, had been next - she decided to finally take her honeymoon out in the stars. Amethyst and Peridot married, and then they left to find their own space, just for the two of them. And Lapis… Lapis had flown away one day; she’d said she needed time to think about things.

That left Steven and Connie.

They’d married before anyone had left; their wedding was the last big thing to happen while everyone still lived in the Temple, in fact. It was not a traditional wedding - traditional weddings aren’t officiated by fusions from outer space, after all. Nor do traditional weddings end with two  _ literally  _ becoming one.

(They kept a tally on how often they’d unfused since then. The last was about fifty-six years ago, so not that long ago at all.)

So now Stevonnie lived alone - together. It was a nice life - and the other gems dropped in all the time, so they weren’t lonely.

Well,  _ most _ of the other gems. They hadn’t seen Lapis in thousands of years.

They were just sitting on the couch, wondering what to do tonight. Maybe they could call Lars and-

There was a knock at the door.

Now this was exceptionally  _ strange _ to Stevonnie. Most people entered through the warp pad, for the simple reason that it was hard to get to the door. You see, in the few thousand years between their wedding and now, the water levels had risen somewhat. Basically, the Beach House was now more of an island. It had been sad, in many ways, to watch the waters claim Beach City, but that had been long ago, and most of their friends were long gone when it started to happen.

In any case, the front door was  _ isolated _ . So who could it be?

They got up and looked through the glass. As soon as they caught eyes with the figure, they were off the couch, running over to swing it open.

“Lapis!” they exclaimed, “You’re back!”

Lapis nodded, scratching the back of her head.

“I, uh, finished thinking,” she said, “Sorry it took so long.”

Stevonnie grinned, pulling her into a hug.

“Don’t worry about it!” they exclaimed, “I’m just glad you’re back! It… it’s been so long!”

They just about pulled her in and closed the door.

“So,” asked Lapis, sitting down on the couch, “Is everyone else on a mission or something?”

Stevonnie walked over to the fridge, taking out a jug of orange juice.

“Nah, they’re… they’ve moved on,” they replied.

“They’re  _ dead?! _ ”

“What? No!” replied Stevonnie, “They moved out. It’s just us now!”

“Oh,” said Lapis, “I…”

She buried her head in her hands.

“That’s just great, isn’t it?” she asked aloud, “I finally decide that this is where I want to stay, and everyone else is gone.”

“I’m still here,” said Stevonnie, “You want some of this?”

“No, I… you know what, yeah,” replied Lapis.

Stevonnie took out two glasses.

“They still come ‘round all the time,” they explained, “It’s just… I guess they left the Temple to me.”

They poured the drinks and walked over, sitting down next to Lapis.

“You’re welcome to stay, by the way,” they added, “I think I’d like a roommate.”

“I… don’t really have anywhere else to go,” shrugged Lapis.

She took a sip of the juice.

“So, you’re still fused, huh?”

“‘Till death do us part,” replied Stevonnie, “And as a fusion, I probably won’t die, so…”

They grinned and made a pair of finger guns.

“...we don’t have to part.”

“But don’t you wanna… y’know, be together?” asked Lapis.

“We  _ are _ together,” replied Stevonnie, “All the time. It… it’s like Garnet, you know? I’m made of love.”

They sat back.

“Besides,” they added, “They’re happy.  _ I’m  _ happy. That’s what matters.”

They took a long sip of their drink.

“So,” they said, “Want me to set you up with a bed, roomie?”

Slowly, Lapis smiled.

“Yeah,” she replied, “I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do like some perma-Stevonnie, got to say it.


	4. Monster AU

**Monster AU**

_Whitechapel  
1878_

“Well the fellow is _dead_ , that much we know.”

The constable knelt over the unfortunate corpse, his words a blunt statement of the obvious. The man had been mauled, his face a mess, and while that might have been attributed to an attack by a particularly vicious dog, the evidence painted a decidedly peculiar picture.

Connie Maheswaran gazed down at the fellow’s hand. A revolver was still clutched in the pale fingers, the faintest scent of cordite on the barrel. It was an American contraption - a ‘Peacemaker’ - which indicated that the man must have possessed some wealth. Yet there was no purse, no rings and no jewelry on his person.

He’d been robbed, or perhaps looted after death. This was a crime scene.

It was frustratingly difficult to convince anyone, though. The chief constable on the scene was already cheerfully writing it off as a ‘dog attack’ and would hear nothing to the contrary. He didn’t wish to be lectured by ‘a woman, and an Indian besides’ - even if she was a known consultant for the Metropolitan Police.

“The gun’s evidence, isn’t it?” asked Connie.

The constable shrugged.

“I suppose to,” he replied, “But DCI Briggs isn’t declaring it a crime scene, so you’re welcome to it.”

Connie nodded, carefully taking the gun in her gloved hands. She glanced around for any other identifying marks or objects - finding none, she stood up and began her walk back to the train. She’d need to study this object…

* * *

Connie placed the gun on the small table, just across from Steven. He scratched his chin, gingerly taking it in his hand.

“I don’t like guns,” he muttered.

“I know, Steven,” Connie replied sympathetically, “But I need you to focus on this. It could help us find the killer.”

Steven nodded, slowly closing his eyes, his face relaxing. Slowly, he extended his hand, and Connie gripped it.

The apartment melted away.

Steven and Connie were standing in a dark alleyway in Whitechapel - the crime scene. They spied a well-dressed man in a top hat, muttering to himself as he wandered down the street. He was stern-faced and bearded, a slight scar on his cheek. Connie could see a pink glow under his jacket - the revolver.

“I don’t see why we had to have the meeting in this accursed borough,” he muttered, and Connie detected a hint of a Southern accent on his voice, “White has a palace, does she not? I…”

“Excuse me, sir.”

The man turned. A pale figure emerged from fog - literally forming out of the ether as she entered the memory. She was tall and lithe with a prominent nose, and she smiled almost pleasantly.

“Gabriel Whittaker, is it?” she asked.

“I… yes, yes I am,” he replied.

“Formerly of the Army of Northern Virginia?”

The man nodded again.

“Yes, I rode with Lee,” he said wistfully, “And I’d do it again, if only to kill one Yankee more.”

“Nice man,” Connie muttered.

Steven swallowed and nodded.

“Hmm… very nice,” said the woman, her tone faintly sarcastic, “My name is Pearl. I am a member of the Crystal Gems.”

“Charming name,” Whittaker said, “What is it that you do?”

“We fight,” replied Pearl, “Specifically, we fight your friend White and her little gang.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Whittaker reached into his coat and pulled out his gun. The pink light from the illusion illuminated his face, a splash of colour in a grey world.

“That’s a secret society, ma’am,” he growled, “How do you know about it?”

“Do you mean to shoot me, Colonel Whittaker?” asked Pearl, her voice light and casual.

“In a heartbeat, if necessary.”

Pearl chuckled.

“Well then,” she said, “Go ahead.”

There was a loud _bang._ A bullet soared from the barrel of the Peacemaker, striking Pearl in the eye… and _bouncing off._

Pearl grinned as Whittaker gazed at his pistol, his hand starting to shake. Frantically, the old Rebel cocked the hammer and fired once more, but again the bullet did nothing.

“That’s… nobody…”

“I am a creation of your friend White,” sneered Pearl, “Thankfully, I managed to liberate myself.”

She clapped her hands together - there was a slightly metallic clunk as she did so.

“Now, may I introduce you to my associate?” she asked, “Jasper?”

A second figure appeared from the ether - she was a towering, muscular woman, her body covered in… _fur?_ She snarled down at Whittaker, her fists clenched.

“Do you remember me, _Colonel?_ ” she spat.

“What in God’s name… demon! You’re a _demon!_ ” screamed Whittaker.

“That’s not what you called me,” snarled Jasper, “Back before the War. Back in Atlanta…”

She grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up.

“But I’m _free_ now,” she continued, “And I’ve been waiting a long time for this…”

Steven gasped, and the world faded away. Connie found herself back in her apartment - Steven was doubled over, breathing heavily, the gun dropped on the table.

“Steven!”

Connie hurried over, putting her hands on his shoulders and gently shaking them.

“We’re here!” she urged, “We’re back in our apartment! It’s okay!”

Steven took a deep breath.

“Sorry,” he said, “I had to… I was feeling his thoughts, and… they felt like they were _mine_.”

He swallowed.

“It’s hard to comprehend,” he admitted, “There’s a… a lot of bad people in this world.”

“Well, that’s why we stick together, right?” asked Connie, “To help each other deal with them. It’s okay, they weren’t your feelings. I _know_ you’re not like that.”

Slowly, Steven smiled.

“Yeah,” he said, “Exactly. Besides, I… I didn’t wanna see…”

“We didn’t need to,” Connie reassured him, “We got everything we need. We know how he died, we didn’t have to see it.”

She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.

“Okay,” she said, standing up, “We know he’s Colonel Gabriel Whittaker. We know he was killed by a group called the Crystal Gems. That’s a start - we can work with this.”

“One of them had turned into a monster,” added Steven, “Is there anyone you know who we can ask about that?”

“There is someone,” replied Connie, “Works as a consultant for the police sometimes. Does a lot of research into this - Dr. Henry Jekyll. That’s where we’ll start…”


	5. Hybrid Connie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on [this.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14579490/chapters/33858594) AU of Mirror Gem.

** Hybrid Connie **

__We are the Crystal Gems  
We’ll always save the day  
And if you think we can’t  
We’ll always find a way  
That’s why the people of this world  
Believe in…  
Bismuth  
Lapis L.  
and Pearl  
and Connie!

“ _ You  _ knew  _ I was there. _ ”

The voice still haunted Connie as she sat on the bench, waiting for her friend.

She remembered it vividly - the Sapphire, hair flowing in the late night wind, her face twisted into a scowl of rage. Her demands - “ _ Where is Ruby?! _ ” - and the guilt in Bismuth’s eyes at the sound of the name. How she ran, and how nobody followed.

She remembered Bismuth’s hollow, sad words.

“ _ I didn’t  _ know _ , I told myself it was a Homeworld Sapphire,”  _ she said, “ _ But sometimes I  _ thought _ , and… stars, what did I do? _ ”

“Connie?”

Connie looked up as Steven sat down, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You said you needed to talk?”

Connie inhaled sharply.

“I met a gem last night,” she said, “Another one, I mean.”

“But I thought the Crystal Gems were the only ones,” quizzed Steven.

Connie sighed.

“Me too,” she replied, “I… I guess I was wrong, huh? Only, this new gem - she’s really mad at Bismuth and Pearl for something they did…”

She shrugged.

“Not Lapis, though, which is weird.”

“What did they do?” asked Steven.

Connie sighed.

“They kept her in a mirror,” she replied, “One that Mom found. They thought she was a…  _ Homeworld  _ Sapphire? Which I guess means they’re aliens, too? Why wouldn’t they tell me that?”

“Maybe they thought you weren’t ready?”

“Oh yeah, because it’s  _ totally  _ better to find out like  _ this! _ ” snapped Connie.

Steven winced, and she sighed.

“Sorry, you didn’t deserve that,” she said, “I just… what do I do? And… what if Mom  _ knew? _ What if she  _ knew  _ Sapphire was a friend? What if  _ she  _ put her in the mirror? Everyone tells me she was so great, but what if she-”

She was cut off as Steven pulled her into a hug, gently rubbing her back.

“Hey,” he said, “It’s gonna be okay.”

He chuckled.

“Heh, I’m a poet.”

Connie closed her eyes and laughed, hugging her friend back.

“I just wish they’d be more honest with me,” she said, “But I guess they just want to keep me safe.”

“Maybe you can ask them to explain things,” replied Steven, “And if you need to, I can back you up.”

Connie smiled.

“I’d like that.”

“Connie!”

Connie looked up. Lapis had landed next to them - she looked down at the hugging kids and chuckled.

“Is this a moment?” she asked.

Connie broke the hug, blushing.

“Uh, no Lapis, we’re just… hugging.”

Lapis grinned.

“Sure, okay,” she said, sounding entirely unconvinced, “So, Bismuth’s ready to explain this Sapphire thing, if you’re ready to listen.”

Connie and Steven glanced at each other.

“I’m ready,” replied Connie, “But is it okay if I bring Steven for… support?”

Lapis shrugged.

“Sure, okay,” she said, “Need a lift home?”

Connie smiled.

“Yeah,” she replied, “I’d like that.”

Connie and Steven grabbed an arm each, and Lapis kicked off into the sky, heading for the Temple in the distance. The human-gem hybrid closed her eyes, feeling just a little calmer - after all, she had a friend in her corner, and that made all the difference.


	6. Proposal

** Proposal **

If she were  _ just _ asking him to marry her, well, this would have been a lot easier.

Connie sat across the table from Steven, trying to stop her hands from shaking as she imagined all the ways this could possibly go wrong. The little box in her pocket weighed down on her, like an anchor threatening to drag her down into a proverbial sea, and she could barely focus on what Steven was saying.

“...so anyway, that’s what’s going on with the Rubies,” he finished.

He took a sip of his drink (sparkling water in a wine glass) and smiled.

“So, uh, what did you do today?”

Connie swallowed, her eyes drifting over to Ruby and Sapphire at another table. Both turned and grinned, giving her a thumbs up - they weren’t terribly discreet about it, but Steven didn’t seem to notice.

“I, uh, I talked to Garnet about something,” she replied.

Steven bit his lip, and Connie detected a hint of  _ red _ on his cheeks.

“Look, I’ve been thinking lately,” she continued, “About  _ us _ , I mean, and… I guess I was wondering… I mean, we’ve been together for a  _ while  _ now, and…”

She trailed off as Steven slowly withdrew the little blue box from his pocket. She blinked, dumbstruck - then, she slowly brought out hers.

“Both of us,” she said flatly.

“Yeah.”

“On the  _ same day. _ ”

“Uh-huh.”

There was a long, awkward silence.

At last, Connie broke, covering her mouth as she began to chuckle. Before long, Steven had joined in - the couple attracted more than a few stares as they laughed at the strange, implausible,  _ entirely predictable _ scenario they’d found themselves in.

“Okay, this is…” Connie wiped her eyes, the laughter subsiding, “Well, I’ll marry you, that’s probably obvious.”

She wondered if engagement was  _ supposed  _ to be this casual.

“Yeah, same,” nodded Steven, “But…”

“But there’s one other thing I wanted to ask,” said Connie, “A-a-and it’s probably silly, and weird, but I talked to Garnet about it, and…”

She took a deep breath.

“...what if we became like her?” she asked, “Just… be Stevonnie. All the time.”

Steven nodded slowly.

“Because it’s like… this is probably silly, but their existence, to me, is like… like a hug, but more, and it doesn’t go away, and…” she continued, “F-forget I said anything, this is…”

Steven leaned forward, looking her in the eye.

“Connie,” he said, “There’s nothing I’d like more than to be Stevonnie with you.”

“ **_ YES! _ ** ”

There was a loud crash as Sapphire jumped up, her chair falling backwards. She danced around her table, grabbed Ruby, and began to dance with excitement in the middle of the restaurant.

“I knew it,  _ I knew it! _ ” she exclaimed, “I knew it, Ruby!”

Ruby laughed, pulling her wife into a hug. They twirled around, their gems glowing as they began to fuse.

Steven glanced at Connie and smiled.

“I guess they’ve been looking forward to this,” he said.

“Yeah,” nodded Connie, watching Garnet twirl in place, hugging herself and shouting out in joy. Another patron tried to shush her, but the fusion ignored him completely.

Connie grinned slightly giddily and took a sip of her drink.

“And you know what?” she added, “So have I.”


	7. Free Day

** Free Day **

_Mt. Ainslie  
Canberra, Australia_

Steven wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he finished scaling the mountain track. In front of him, Connie had sat on the stump of a long fallen tree, taking a long sip from her bottle of water - she grinned as Steven sat down next to her.

“Well,” she said, “Here we are!”

Steven nodded, taking in the view.

Beyond them lay the city of Canberra - the sandstone-tan, almost mosque-like Australian War Memorial was closest, and from there his eyes followed the red avenue of Anzac Parade to the lake. Beyond that was the white marble of Old Parliament House, and then on the hill stood New Parliament House, with it’s prominent flagpole. Further still were the suburbs, separated from each other by large patches of bushland and open space.

The whole scene was framed by a brilliant sunset, a pale, darkening blue sky liberally highlighted by bright, blood-red clouds and airplane contrails.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Steven sighed.

“Mmm-hmm,” replied Connie, “Second-most beautiful thing here right now.”

She put an arm over Steven’s shoulder. He chuckled, blushing.

“Uh…  _ third-most _ ,” he corrected sheepishly, “Because, y’know… you’re here.”

Connie laughed, pulling Steven into a hug.

“You’re such a dork,” she said, “I love you.”

Steven smiled.

“I love you too,” he replied, “You… also dork!”

They laughed again. Then, slowly, Connie closed her eyes and moved in closer, locking her lips with Steven. They sat there for some time, under the red glow of the sunset - Steven’s gem began to glow, and he felt his mind mix with hers…

Stevonnie opened their eyes, still hugging themselves. They sighed happily, leaning back and looking up at the sky.

“I love me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote. Another fun Jam Bomb - and I actually finished a fandom week this time! Huzzah!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, everyone!


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